Emory MSCR: Background
In response to national efforts to improve the quality of education in clinical research, Emory has developed the Master of Science in Clinical Research (MSCR) degree program. The purpose of this program is to provide didactic and mentored clinical and translational research training for physicians and other doctoral scientists who need and desire to develop the analytic and other skills necessary for clinical investigation.
The MSCR program was developed in part in response to the NIH Directors Panel's Report on Clinical Research (the Nathan Report) issued in December 1997. This report recommended establishment of didactic training programs for clinical investigators. Clinical research is defined in this report as patient-oriented research, e.g. research conducted with human subjects (or on material of human origin such as tissue) for which an investigator or colleagues directly interact with human subjects. This research includes mechanisms of human disease, therapeutic interventions, clinical trials, development of new technologies, epidemiologic and behavioral studies, outcomes research and health services research. The importance of translational research, to include bench to bedside (T1) and bedside to community (T2) has recently been emphasized.
Emory's MSCR program was started in 1998 with a Woodruff Foundation Grant. In 1999, Emory was awarded a NIH K30 - Clinical Research Curriculum Award to fund the MSCR program. In September 2007, the MSCR program was incorporated into the Atlanta Clinical and Translational Science Institute (ACTSI), the NIH Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) to Emory. The target audience was also expanded to include PhD-level scientists, doctoral students (medical and PhD students) in addition to physicians (fellows and faculty). With the establishment of the ACTSI, the focus of research training to include clinical and translational research was also expanded.
In order to achieve excellence in the 21st century, investigators undertaking clinical and translational research must couple their knowledge of medicine and biology with analytic sciences including statistical reasoning, decision analysis, probability theory, analytical epidemiology, and informatics. They must also have an understanding of the principles of evidence-based medicine, bioethics, clinical trial design, regulations involving human subjects and animals, scientific and grant writing, community engagement and health disparities in clinical and translational research, and responsible conduct of research.
The MSCR program was developed in part in response to the NIH Directors Panel's Report on Clinical Research (the Nathan Report) issued in December 1997. This report recommended establishment of didactic training programs for clinical investigators. Clinical research is defined in this report as patient-oriented research, e.g. research conducted with human subjects (or on material of human origin such as tissue) for which an investigator or colleagues directly interact with human subjects. This research includes mechanisms of human disease, therapeutic interventions, clinical trials, development of new technologies, epidemiologic and behavioral studies, outcomes research and health services research. The importance of translational research, to include bench to bedside (T1) and bedside to community (T2) has recently been emphasized.
Emory's MSCR program was started in 1998 with a Woodruff Foundation Grant. In 1999, Emory was awarded a NIH K30 - Clinical Research Curriculum Award to fund the MSCR program. In September 2007, the MSCR program was incorporated into the Atlanta Clinical and Translational Science Institute (ACTSI), the NIH Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) to Emory. The target audience was also expanded to include PhD-level scientists, doctoral students (medical and PhD students) in addition to physicians (fellows and faculty). With the establishment of the ACTSI, the focus of research training to include clinical and translational research was also expanded.
In order to achieve excellence in the 21st century, investigators undertaking clinical and translational research must couple their knowledge of medicine and biology with analytic sciences including statistical reasoning, decision analysis, probability theory, analytical epidemiology, and informatics. They must also have an understanding of the principles of evidence-based medicine, bioethics, clinical trial design, regulations involving human subjects and animals, scientific and grant writing, community engagement and health disparities in clinical and translational research, and responsible conduct of research.